WASHINGTON (TNND) — Ukraine struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region Thursday, Oct. 15, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a three-day pause in Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy sites had ended.
A senior Ukrainian official confirmed the strike to The Associated Press. Russian officials said the drone attack sparked a fire. The Kremlin disputed that Ukraine had paused its refinery strikes; AP said it could not independently verify each side’s claims.
KYIV, UKRAINE – SEPTEMBER 28: The building of the private medical clinic Dobrobut burns following a second Russian drone strike on central Kyiv, approximately one hour after a projectile hit a residential building in the city center on September 28, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The strike came shortly after separate drone strike on the Academy of Sciences building in Kyiv’s historic center. (Photo by Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty Images)
The pause followed President Donald Trump’s announcement of an “energy ceasefire.” Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed, but the terms were unclear. Zelenskyy initially said the announcement was news to him and later said Ukraine was ready to halt strikes if Russia did the same.
“The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” Zelenskyy told the Financial Times. He said Russia continued attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the pause.
Trump has urged Ukraine to stop striking Russian energy facilities and announced a deal for Russia to supply diesel, saying it would help address high fuel prices. The reported deal’s effect on U.S. prices is not yet clear.
WASILLA, ALASKA – OCTOBER 13: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at the Menard Memorial Sports Center on October 13, 2026 in Wasilla, Alaska. President Trump is in Alaska campaigning for local Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Zelenskyy also said U.S. officials warned Ukraine that intelligence sharing could be blocked if it continued the strikes. Trump has said the U.S. has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said restrictions on U.S.-controlled Starshield disrupted military operations; Ukraine’s Defense Ministry sources later said service while moving had resumed and was improving.
The dispute puts U.S. policy toward the war in focus, including Trump’s ceasefire announcement, the diesel deal and military support Ukraine says it relies on.
